6 Tips for Growing Online Traffic and Sales That No One Tells You..

Posted by: Staci Wood, Small Business Trends..

TJ McCue founded Sales Rescue Team in 2008 as a pay-it-forward lab giving website owners free advice on how to improve their design, copy, and the sales path that customers took or might take through a website. Today, it has since grown to a number of contractors who help small business owners build blogs and create valuable content to attract visitors to your site.

In this episode of Small Business Trends Radio, TJ joins Anita Campbell to share tips and available tools for improving your website, using social media monitoring tools to refine your copy and content, and analytics to figure out what’s working and, more importantly – what’s not working.

Below are the questions we asked TJ:

•(3:12) First TJ, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

•(4:36) Can you tell us what you enjoy doing when you have a day off? How do you like to spend your free time?

•(5:28) Do you find that helps you in business as well? Does it help you reflect and clarify your goals?

•(6:16) What is the biggest obstacle that you see in small business web sites regarding the one’s you’ve reviewed for Sales Rescue Team?

•(7:20) Too much going on on a page? Is that how you see it?

•(10:29) Is there anything else around that that people should know? Are there other things such as clutter, poor writing, or bad navigation, for example?

•(13:12) I see a lot of web sites that have ads within the articles as links and I find those distracting. Any thoughts on those, TJ?

•(14:32) I’d like to go down a list of tips, if you will, so that listeners can take notes. What would be the first tip you would give to increase traffic to your web site and increase sales?

•(18:57) How do Facebook ads compare with Google Adwords? Are they less expensive?

•(21:55) How do you set up a Facebook ad?

•(23:16) Can you list some additional tips for those that are listening and writing this down?

•(26:35) What else would you recommend, TJ?

•(28:50) Where can people find out more?

Listen to the Radio Interview Here...

What Should a Small Business' Website Do?

Posted by: Steve Strauss, Ask an Expert, USA Today.

What Should a Small Business' Website Do?

Here, then, are the 7 Deadly Small-Business Website Mistakes that you must avoid:

1. The site confuses the Web for a billboard: Every now and then you will run across a small-business website that gets it: It is graphically appealing, it contains valuable, unique content, and it engages the visitor. It is a sales tool, meet-and-greet, advertisement, brochure and conduit, all in one.

But most small-business websites do not do that. Instead, they are simply an online version of a billboard or other sort of basic ad: a big headline with some backup information and not much more.

Mistake.

The days when you could simply throw up an e-version of your Yellow Pages ad are long over. Yellow Pages ads are great because they serve a specific purpose, and do it very well — namely, to get the phone to ring. But the purpose of your website goes beyond that. Sure, a great small-business website will cause the phone to ring (or the e-mail to be sent), but it should also create a positive, lasting impression.

To do that, the site has to engage, not just be.

2. The site lacks a great "About" page: Because your website is your virtual version of your store or office, it must serve that function well, and you do that by having a robust "About Us" page.

The About Us page tells people who you are, what you are about and why they should trust you. It is one of the most-clicked-on pages on any website. People want to know who you are, your history and story, so a well-written, jargon-free, interesting About Us page is essential. Putting a short video there (more on that later) may even be better.

Your About Us page is your online version of a firm handshake and a look in the eye. It helps people to trust you.

3. The site contains mistakes: Dead links, 404 Error pages and typos are the sort of sloppy errors that can turn a prospective client off. After all, if your site contains mistakes, what does that say about the sort of work you may do for the client?

4. The site lacks ways to further connect online: Does your site have a blog and can people get to it within one click from your home page? They should be able to. Can site visitors surf over to your Facebook page from your site? Can people easily follow you on Twitter, or link with you on LinkedIn, by clicking links on your site?

5. The site is not SEO friendly: People should be able to find your site in a variety of ways:

•From seeing your URL in your ads, business card, or store.

•By finding you via forums, articles you have written, or social-media sites.

•From online ads if you use those.

•And, probably most important, by locating you in a search-engine result.

That last one comes from, of course, search engine optimization (SEO). An SEO-friendly site is one where there is plenty of content (updated regularly), where the content is full of key words and phrases, and where there are plenty of incoming links.

6. The site lacks video: This is the YouTube age. People like and watch video online. Use that. Your site visitors will click on the videos you post, so put up how-to videos or videos that introduce your staff or business or product demonstrations — just as long as you have some video.

7. The site's pages lack a call to action: What do you want people to do on your site — buy something, call you, apply, opt-in, download, e-mail or what? Whatever the answer, you have to encourage them to do it. Go on your site and notice how many of your pages lack a call to action. Fix it.

A Fresh Approach Media Launches New Website!

A FRESH APPROACH MEDIA'S
NEW WEBSITE

Take a look at our new website!! Easier to navigate, lots more information, cleanier look!

Visit Our Website Now!

Lighthouse Wellness Center Launches New Website

Click Here to Visit Website

Brand New, Informational Site for this Chiropractor, Acupuncturist and Massage Therapist.

May 17 2008 - (TUCSON ARIZONA)

LIGHTHOUSE WELLNESS CENTER in East Meadow, NY has officially launched it's brand new website http://www.lighthousewellnessli.com which highlights the services available from this company based in East Meadow, NY. The Lighthouse Wellness Center offices are located at 1975 Hempstead Tpke., Suite 102 in East Meadow NY.

Lighthouse Wellness Center has contracted with Tucson Based "A Fresh Approach Media" and developed a website that not only highlights the services Dr. Cariann Perretta offers but also a look into the world of chiropractic, acupuncture and massage therapy. If a visitor to the site is looking for information and effective methods on acupuncture, chiropractic and massage therapy, the options available at Lighthouse Wellness are affordable and comfortable.

If you have questions concerning Acupuncture, like Do the Needles Hurt? or How Safe is Acupuncture?, or questions about Chiropractic like Do Insurance Plans Cover Chiropractic? and Is Chiropractic Treatmen Safe?, Lighthouse Wellness Center provides you the Frequently Asked Questions you might be looking for.

The goal for A Fresh Approach Media was to create a site that delivered the services provided by Lighthouse Wellness Center. We communicated via email and phone with Dr. Cariann Perretta and developed a layout for Lighthouse Wellness Center and developed an easy to navigate site and provided information for clients and potential clients that will turn to Lighthouse Wellness Center for their Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Massage Therapy needs. Carol D'Andrea of A Fresh Approach Media built the site out for Lighthouse Wellness Center, "I've added my personal touch to Lighthouse Wellness Center and continue to help my long-time friend achieve the results she is looking for both for herself and her potential clients so that they may feel comfortable and relaxed when choosing a chiropractor, acupuncturist and massage therapist".

Dr. Cariann Perretta at Lighthouse Wellness Center as very impressed with the look and feel of the website and will be highly recommending our services to other potential clients for A Fresh Approach in the near future.

We congratulate Dr. Cariann Perretta and Lighthouse Wellness Center in East Meadow, NY on the launch of the website and look forward to adding and building on this company.

Photoshop Cafe

PhotoshopCAFE Presents:

It's been exactly three weeks since the Photoshop World Convention in Las Vegas. I haven't had a chance to write a thing about what I had seen and what products we had a chance to look at and bring back with us from the convention.

I've tested out some of the products we brought back like Fluid Mask 3, the #1 still-image masking tool and SiteGrinder 2 which turns Adobe Photoshop into an easy-to-use and powerful website design and production tool. I'm also going to take a look at LicenseStream, a product by ImageSpan that lets you manage the rights, permissions, and licenses for your photos and videos.

The product I did get a chance to test out and use in depth was the training video that I received from Colin Smith of PhotoshopCafe. The Photoshop and Dreamweaver Integration Tutorial DVD he hand us at the conference has saved me hours and hours of website design work.

This training tutorial has been the most useful tool for me as a web designer. Yes, I've seen videos on YouTube that helped me in certain areas of what I do but the Photoshop and Dreamweaver Integration Tutorial Video from Colin Smith helped me in ALL areas of what I need to do for the Photoshop designs that I created.

Mr. Smith also gave us "Flash CS3 for Designers" to try out and I am excited about this DVD as well since we are finding out more and more that our clients really want to add some Flash on their websites. I have only scratched the surface when it comes to Flash, but I know that Mr. Smith will teach me quite a bit more of what I need to know to help our clients!

So, if you are searching for a tutorial video that will help you in your web design skills, I highly recommend Colin Smith's PhotoshopCAFE Training Tutorials. You can find his Tutorials by visiting http://www.photoshopcafe.com/.

Take a look and browse around the site. He has some useful snippets of videos for products like the new CS4 products, CS3, Lightroom and much, much more!

New Website Launch

RENEGADE CLASSIC GULF BREEZE FLORIDA

Highlighting the Rider Gear is featured in this Launch of the Renegade Classic Gulf Breeze Florida Site.

August 20th 2008 - (TUCSON ARIZONA)

RENEGADE CLASSICS GULF BREEZE takes its vast product line and personal touch to the web with the official launch of the brand new website for the biker and those that shop for them.

Visitors to www.renegadeclassicsgb.com will find a site the compliments the different jackets, vest, leathers, boots, helmets, gloves and other fun accessories that Renegade Classics Gulf Breeze offers. The riding community is a tight knit group and Renegade Classics Gulf Breeze maintains the service to the riders with its large inventory and now website which features product numbers on descriptive content with photos and an easy navigation to easily find what the shopper is looking for.

RENEGADE CLASSICS GULF BREEZE is not just a place to shop, the company mission of the owners Bob and Petra Wigley is for the store to be a friendly, local meeting place where you can get information on local runs, biker-related events, and meet new friends, that happens to also have first quality brand named products at great prices. The buying power of the 44 other Renegade locations across the country help manage the cost, keeping them affordable; reaching out to the community with a retail location and friendly staff and now informational website will continue to drive business through the store. Renegade Classics Gulf Breeze is located in the Blue Water Plaza, Just off the 98 at 4100 Gulfbreeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze Florida.

Renegade Classics Gulf Breeze looked towards Tucson Based "A Fresh Approach Media" after seeing its work on the Tucson Renegade Classics location which was launched early this year. The goal was to develop a web location that provided information and a great idea of the products carried in the store but also reached out to the Gulf Breeze community. Working together with content sent via the Internet, A Fresh Approach Media turned out a custom look and feel that worked for owners Bob and Petra.

"It's exciting to start with an idea and build on it to develop a site that the owners and myself have a passion for." stated A Fresh Approach Media Designer, Carol D'Andrea. "The distance between our two cities was not an issue at all and we are excited at the growth we will continue to see on the Renegade Classics Gulf Breeze website."

Bob Wigley, Owner stated his feelings of working with A Fresh Approach Media "It has been a pleasure working with you on our website! Thanks for all of your work on our site and the personal professional touches that are obvious. You came through with flying colors."

Congratulations to Renegade Classics Gulf Breeze on the Official launch of the website., We look forward to the centerpiece of your marketing with this website continuing to grow. Thank you for allowing A Fresh Approach Media to be a part of it.

Written by:
Andy Taylor
Creative Services
A Fresh Approach Media
andy@afreshapproachmedia.com

My First Video!

I've been working pretty hard these last couple of weeks putting together this website for a client who is in Florida. The site is about 100 pages. It took me rougly two weeks to get it done.

So, tonight, or should I say this morning... I decided to take a much needed break... I was browsing around the net to find out how I can add some 80s music to my myspace page... I found a really cool player that I could just add music too and upload to the myspace... I wanted to post the player in the myspace blog, but realized I couldn't do it. So I came to blogger and realized I couldn't do it there because it was only for myspace...

Then I saw that you can post videos in blogger. Andy is pretty much the "video" guru around here. So, I wanted to see how easy or hard it was and what better video to make then a video that includes "music"... The music, of course, that I grew up with and I love... the 80s!

Then I thought, well, I don't think I have a program on my computer right now that can do it... I looked around the home office and saw that I could load one program or another on the computer but then I wanted to see if they had anything free I can download quickly.

I found out that Windows XP includes a free video program called "Movie Maker" so I decided to take a stab at it... I only did about 5 songs and added some video effects and transitions.

It took me about 3 hours and about 25 minutes to encode the video, but here it is, My First Video...

Thoughts and comments are welcomed.